AI Damage2012 Ford Escape Hybrid: common problems
Owners of the 2012 Ford Escape Hybrid filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 15
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 13% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 13% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 13% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 13% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- Engine: 2 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Structure: 2 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The chp ( california highway patrol) could not believe that the air bags never deployed do to the severity of the crash. We have spoken with lots of friends and acquaintances that own fords, and have been told that they also had problems with air bags not deploying upon impact.
Rear view camera, (works intermittently) with black squiggly lines when vehicle is in reverse. Still under warranty. The moon roof has leaked and 3 attempted repairs were made within months of original purchase. The leak caused stains to the interior roof. The moonroof has never seeded properly and is under warranty.
The consumer stated the second time the sudden acceleration occurred, he struck a basketball stand and a mailbox. Before the vehicle finally came to a stop on the front lawn of a home. Once again, the vehicle was towed to the dealer. However, they were unable to find anything wrong.
The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle loss power steering assist and became very difficult to turn in either direction. After restarting the vehicle, the failure was corrected and the vehicle operated as designed.
I turned on my back window defroster and was driving down the road when the window exploded/shattered thereby almost causing me to get into an accident.
My 2012 ford escape hybrid has rust covering the entire underside of the vehicle. I never noticed it until yesterday when I noticed some rust under the wheel well. When I looked under the car I was horrified. The rust is really bad and it's eating through to the interior.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford escape hybrid. While driving approximately 65 mph, the hood suddenly flew up and crashed into the windshield without warning. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to gaudin ford (6625 w.
5 weeks ago the brake warning light on the dash lit up. I called the ford dealership and they could not get me in for 3 weeks. I was planning on going on a vacation around that time, so decided to wait until after I got back.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Escape Hybrid has 109 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 15, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
- Escape Hybrid 2005178 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2006219 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2007124 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2008443 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2009153 sources
- Escape Hybrid 201059 sources
- Escape Hybrid 201137 sources
- Escape Hybrid 20135 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2020308 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2021147 sources
- Escape Hybrid 202282 sources
- Escape Hybrid 202338 sources
- Escape Hybrid 202412 sources
- Escape Hybrid 20254 sources
- Escape Hybrid 20263 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Ford Escape Hybrid?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, fuel/propulsion system, service brakes. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (20%), windows, sunroof (20%), steering or power steering problems (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2012 Ford Escape Hybrid?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2012 Ford Escape Hybrid from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2012 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.